College Board Frustrated By Court Settlement Mandating SAT Studies

Officials at the College Board fear a rushed decision made without adequate review could revolutionize the role the SATs play in admissions.

By next March, a panel selected by the College Board and disability rights

advocates must recommend whether to remove the markers, called "flags," on score reports that notify admissions officers of unusual testing conditions.

Without the flags, admissions officers will have no way to determine the conditions under which applicants took the exam.

But the process for choosing the panel that will finally issue this recommendation has cut into the time that could be spent researching and evaluating the merits of flagging, according to the College Board.

"The fact that a panel is not established is of some concern to me," said Wayne Camara, director of research and development at the College Board. "We need to make an informed decision and it shouldn't have to happen in a short period."

An ETS press release stated the panel would be chosen by June, but both ETS and the College Board are concerned about the progress of the selection of panel members.

According to the press release, the panel will be comprised of individuals who must be approved by both sides of the legal settlement.